Stair unit for prefabricated stairways



Aug. 5, 1952 A. R. cRlPE STAIR UNIT FOR PREFABRICATED STAIRWAYS Filed AJuly l0, 1946 ATZ' ORNE Y Patented Aug. 5, 1952 O F F I CE STAIRfUNIT FOR PREFABRICAT'ED STAIRWAYS- o .lan R. Cripe, Dayton, Ohio vapplicati@ July 1o, 1,946, serial No. 682,515

4' Claims. (Cl. 189-43) This invention relates to astair Vunit for a prefabricated flight of stairsi` i Oneobject ofthe invention is to'provide a ightof stairs, or stairway, which'can be produced and installed at a relatively low cost.

'A furtherobject of the invention is to provide a prefabricated iiightof stairs which'is of strong durable construction, which is adjustable to vary the height and width of the stair units, in which the several parts will have no relative movement which might cause noise, yand which is of pleasing appearance i 'y A further object of the invention` is to provide a; stair unit which may be Vcompletely vassembled atthe factory and can be quickly and easily installed in proper relation to other units.

'A further object ofthe invention is to provide a vpreformed'stair'unit having parts which may be connected with` adjacent units in selected relative positions to provide stairs of a desired height and'width. i

4A further object of ,theV inventionjis to provide stairY units which can be assembled to producea night ofvstairs-arranged at any desired angle.

A further objectof the invention is to provide such a stair unit with means for illuminating the-same. i

`Other objects f the invention may appear as the same isv described in detail. v

In the accompanying drawings Fig.- 1 is a vertical sectional viewtaken through a, portion of a flight of stairsembodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective. view of oneofthe stair units, partly broken away;v Fig. 3 isA 'afr'ont elevation of one of the stairnunits,` partly-.broken away and attached to a wooden stringerlig. 3a is a section on line Bae-3a of Fig. 4 showingrthe unit attached to a metallic Stringer; Fig.'4 is a sectional view of `parts offtwo units, slightly modiiied in form; Fig. 5 is 'a section taken through a modified form of stair unit which is provided with means for illuminating the same; and Fig. 6 is a fractional sectional view of'another modified form of the stair unit. Y

' In these drawings I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, Ytogether with certain minor modifications thereof, but it is to be understood that the stair unit may take various forms and may be associated withadj'acent stair units in various ways' withoutdeparting froml the spirit of the invention. f

In the illustrated embodiment vthere are shown a plurality of stair units adapted .to be assembled in such number asY to forma complete night of stairs, eachum't including. atread, a riser and means for connecting the riser thereof With an adjacent unit, and also having means for securing the same to stringers of the usual or any suitable kind. Each unity'is preassembled and is delivered to the placefof "installation complete and ready for installation. Preferably, the means for connecting adjacent units one with the other are such that the effective height and the elective width or depth of the units may be varied.

In the arrangement here shown each stair unit comprises a horizontal or tread portion I0, a riser II secured to and extending upwardly from the rear portion of said tread and means whereby the forward portion thereof may be secured to the riser of the next lower unit, such as a front member I2 extending downwardly and rearwardly from the forward portion of thev tread. As clearly seen in Figures 1, 2 and 4, the front member I2 forms substantially a 45 angle with respect to the horizontal tread portion III. In the pres-ent construction the tread, riser and front member are formed in one piece by bending asheet of metal to an approximately Z-shape. Suitable means are provided for rmly supporting each unit and for connecting the same with thestringers on which the several units are mounted, one of which is shown at I3. In the preferred construction each unit is provided at each of its ends with a substantially triangular supporting member, such as a plate I4, the upper edge of which is in supporting engagement with the tread and 'the forward inclined edge of which is in contactY with the inclined front memberA I2. In the form here shown the plate I4 is provided along its edges,k with flanges I5, and these flanges are preferably rigidly secured tothe tread and the front member, as by welding or rivets. The end plates may be secured to the stringers in any suitable manner, and in the present arrangement they are placed flat against the vertical surfaces of the stringers and are provided with openings Illa whereby they may be secured to the stringers by bolts or screws, as shown in Figs. 3 and 3a.

The tread may, if desired, be reenforced by one alsof the effective width of the treads, to beNr varied. When; as in the present instance, the front members of the units extend for the full length thereof` and are of substantial width,

means are provided for connecting the riser of a lower unit with the inclined'front member of the next higher unit at different distances from the tread of the latter. Obviously, the elective height of the upper unit, that is, the vertical distance between the `treads of the two'units, is determined by the location of the line ofconnection between the front member vof the upper y aeoaeee mined by the location of the line oi' connectionv between the two units.

The means for connecting adjacent units one with the other may take various forms, but preferably the riser of each unit is provided with a part having an inclined surface arranged to engage and to be secured to the inclined front member of the next higher unit. In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 the riser has near its upper edge a rearwardly extending member, such as a channel shaped rail I, having its rear surface substantially parallel with the adjacent front member. This rail may be secured to said front member, in adjusted positions with relation thereto, in any suitable manner. As here shown each front member is provided with one or more horizontally spaced, vertical series of horizontally related openings or holes I9 through any one of which an attaching member may be inserted and secured to an adjacent riser, such as a bolt 20 adapted to be inserted in a threaded opening in the rail ,or in a nut engagingthe rail. Preferably, the openings I9 are of the knock-out type, that is, each opening is initially closed by adweakened section which can be removed by a blow ther-ecn. The openings or holes I9 are arranged in horizontal rows and vertical tiers. In Fig. 1 the rail I3 is connected with the front member of the next higher unit relatively close to the tread ofthe latter, and the'front portion of the higher unit projects only a short distance beyond the riser of the lower unit, thus providing a Vlow height and a wide tread. In Fig. 4 the railv is attached to the front member near the lower edge thereof, and the height of the upper unit is increased and the width of the tread of the lower unit is decreased. In 1Fig. 4 the lower unit is the lowermostunit of the flight, and the tread thereof rests upon and is secured to the. oor at the` bottom of the flight. In this viigure the rail I 8 has an inclined surface of increased width Yand is secured to the adjacent front member by two bolts 20. Y Y,

In Fig. 6 there is shown a very simple inexpensive form of connection which in. many in'- stances would suffice. As there shown the riser lla of the lower unit has its upper portion bent forwardly, as shown at 2|, to provide an inclined surface for connection with the front member. |2a of the next higher unit, said front member being provided with an opening or 4openings 22 through one of which extends a bolt 2K3, the head of which is seated in the part 2| of the riser lla. Y Y

In the modied construction shown in Fig. the riser 24 which extends upwardly from the tread 25 has an intermediate longitudinal portion thereof bent rearwardly to provide an elongate recess or cavity 2S, the upper wall 21 of which is parallel with the front member I2Y of an adjacent unit and is secured thereto by a bolt 28. The end member 29 has an upper portion 30 extending rearwardly and upwardly about the lower portion of the riser and which has ySupporting contact with the lower wall of the recessA 26. If desired, there may be mounted in the recess 26 an electric lamp 3l `for the purpose of illuminating the tread of vthe next lower unit.

Preferably, the front of the recess 26 is closed by a light transmitting closure 32, which may be madeof translucent material or of opaque material provided with light transmitting openings 33. v Thus it will be apparent that I have provided Y a stair unit which is complete in itself and which may be assembled on the job with other Stair units to provide a flight of stairs of any desired length, that the inclination of the stringers may be varied through a wide range of inclinations and that the Ypoints of connection between adjacent units may be Varied to provide stairs of different heightV and Width.

While I have shownfand .described .oneembodiment of my invention, together. with certain minor modifications thereof, I Wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A stairway including a plurality of similar stair units', each of said stair units comprising a substantially Ahorizontal tread, a front' member extending downwardly and rearwardly from the front portion of said tread, a riser extending upwardly from the rear portion of said tread, said riser extending in front of the front member of the next higher stair unit, said risery having rigid therewith a rearwardly extending part forming a forwardly facing channel one wall of which is substantially parallel with said front member, and means connecting said wall with the front member rof said higher unit. in a substantially vertically adjusted position with relation thereto.

2. A stairway according to claim 1, wherein there is a plurality of substantially triangular supporting members, there being a pair of supporting members for each stair unit mounted under the tread and seated against the rear side of the front member. l

3. A stairway according to claim 1, wherein said means comprises bolts extending through selected horizontally relatedknock-out holes of atleasttwo horizontally spaced vertical series of such holes provided in thefront. member and through registering holes provided in said wall of the channel.

4. A stairway according to claim l, wherein the front member is inclined rearwardlyl at an angle of approximately 45. Y l

ALAN CRIP'E.

REFERENCES ori-ED The following references .are of record in the nie of this patent:

VUNrrED Vs'nrrirs` PATENTS 

